Written questions

Offshore Industry: North Sea

Commons · Question 122610 · Tabled 20 Mar 2026 · Department for Energy Security and Net Zero · Official record

Answered 30 Mar 2026

Question

Asked by James McMurdock

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the impact of restrictions on new North Sea drilling licences on a) domestic energy production and b) the level of reliance on imported oil and gas.

Answer

Answered by Michael Shanks, 30 Mar 2026

The government has thoroughly assessed the impacts of its policies in the North Sea, as set out in the government’s North Sea Future Plan. Oil and gas production is in natural decline, with a 75% reduction in production occurring between 1999 and 2024. As...